Painters have been using photos as source materials ever since the invention of photography. Picasso, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Cezanne – many of their celebrated masterpieces are based on photos (always uncredited). Gerhard Richter, the most expensive living artist always bases his (figurative) work on photos (always uncredited). But when Bob Dylan does it, it suddenly is big news and he is accused of "stealing and deceiving"? Gimme a break!

The "The Norfolk, Virginia Pier" painting which actually shows the "Blackpool, England (North) Pier" might be a veiled tribute to Gene Vincent who was born in Norfolk, Virginia and who stayed at a house in the North Shore area of Blackpool (near the North Pier) when playing the city in 1965.

It's not a very good photograph anyway. I think Bob could have improved it more. It just seems bereft of life. The sort of pier you want to jump off. where were the hardy fishermen? the leisurely people eating shrimp? the happy children on rollerskates?

I would like to see Bob paint a version of The Scream. That had a pier in it as I recall. or was it a bridge? A platform of some sort anyway. Dedicate it to all those musical acts who have ripped him off over the years.

It's not a very good photograph anyway. I think Bob could have improved it more. It just seems bereft of life. The sort of pier you want to jump off. where were the hardy fishermen? the leisurely people eating shrimp? the happy children on rollerskates?

I would like to see Bob paint a version of The Scream. That had a pier in it as I recall. or was it a bridge? A platform of some sort anyway. Dedicate it to all those musical acts who have ripped him off over the years.

The trouble with his paintings from photographs is that they do appear quite lifeless. That quality or lack of was especially present in his New Orleans Series. I do admire his Drawn Blank Series, which have a much more original quality. There is nothing at all wrong with painting from photographs though. It would not be a discussion at all if he would not insist in presenting his pictures of views of places and scenes he has actually seen as painted.

Anyone here who doesn't think it takes effort and skill to reproduce an image, be it from a photo or model, look up a pic or grab a friend and paint or draw whatever and let's see how you do.

It is extremely difficult. I'm saying Bob's work has all the mediocre qualities of a student hobbyist (albeit on a more competent level than Ron Wood could ever muster), and as such his work would not be getting shown without his name attached.Compare the transformation here to what bob does with photos.

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Last edited by AndoDoug on Sat January 21st, 2017, 09:21 GMT, edited 3 times in total.

It's not a very good photograph anyway. I think Bob could have improved it more. It just seems bereft of life. The sort of pier you want to jump off. where were the hardy fishermen? the leisurely people eating shrimp? the happy children on rollerskates?

I would like to see Bob paint a version of The Scream. That had a pier in it as I recall. or was it a bridge? A platform of some sort anyway. Dedicate it to all those musical acts who have ripped him off over the years.

The trouble with his paintings from photographs is that they do appear quite lifeless. That quality or lack of was especially present in his New Orleans Series. I do admire his Drawn Blank Series, which have a much more original quality. There is nothing at all wrong with painting from photographs though. It would not be a discussion at all if he would not insist in presenting his pictures of views of places and scenes he has actually seen as painted.

Has the Blackpool pier appeared in any films? Is there a site to look up film locations? I don't doubt him using that photo, but maybe it ties in with something else.

The pier is in a number of films. Hilda Fernhout, who found the Blackpool source photo, pointed out that it appears in Nowhere Boy, a biopic about John Lennon's teenage years. Hilda also pointed out Blackpool was where Dylan played "Roll On John" live for the first time.

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